Pretoria News Weekend Saturday, November 14, 2020

POLICE MINISTER DISTRESSED ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME ‘Holiday’ over, Cele warns SA GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has said the latest crime statistics show that the lockdown “crime holiday” experienced at the early levels is over, and criminals are now scrambling to make up for lost time heading into the festive season. Cele released the police crime statistics for the second quarter – July to end-September – in Pretoria yesterday and once again blamed alcohol abuse for the increase in many crimes. He said even though his view with regards to the sale and consumption of alcohol had been criticised in some circles, he remained adamant about its negative effects in communities, which were borne out by the statistics. “The consumption and abuse of alcohol is a causative…

Ace Magashule granted R200 000 bail ZINTLE MAHLATI zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za TIMOTHY BERNARD African News Agency (ANA) TIMOTHY BERNARD African News Agency (ANA) ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was granted bail of R200 000 by the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court – and said he was not going anwhere. Magashule appeared in court on 21 charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering related to an R255 million Free State asbestos audit project tender. The State did not oppose bail but asked Magashule to hand over his passport, which has apparently expired, and he was warned not to interfere with State witnesses. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had asked that bail be set at R250 000 because of the seriousness of the charges. Bail was lowered to R200 000 after Magashule said he was unable to…

Women accuse swim coach of abuse when they were as young as 10 KARISHMA DIPA, SAMEER NAIK and NORMAN CLOETE FORTY years after they were young swimmers, two women have accused a prominent South African swimming coach of sexual assault. The man stands accused of improper behaviour with girls as young as 10 years old from the time he was a teenager. Two women, now in their fifties, have opened a case against the man, after claiming they were groomed and abused by him. The women said their decision to accuse him now was intended to protect other young women in his charge. “The damage he has done to me is everlasting,” said the one complainant, who was once in the same swimming club where his mother was her coach.…

Miss SA shines on homecoming MISS South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida is on a vist to her home province of Limpopo. She was met at the Meropa Hotel and Casino on Thursday by Limpopo Premier Chupu Mathabatha, MECs, and the mayors of Capricorn and Vhembe districts and Polokwane. She visited the Takalani Children’s Home in the Vhembe District Municipality, where she was received by the VhaVenda King before doing a meet-and-greet with women at the Siloam Hospital Market and visiting the Malamulele (Nsovo Special School) and Fulufhelo Special School in Thohoyandou. She posted pictures on social media of her glamorous “homecoming” look.…

CRICKET LEGEND AB hits music charts for six NORMAN CLOETE norman.cloete@inl.co.za SOUTH African cricketer AB de Villiers is a man of many talents. Aside from his batting De Villiers has also shown his skill as an outstanding fielder and wicketkeeper. He was ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during his 15-year international career and also excelled in other sports. But his talents don’t stop there. The 36-year-old has released his first single, The Flame, a song of hope in which he collaborated with Karen Zoid and the Ndlovu Youth Choir. The new single and music video for The Flame aim to inspire and uplift South Africa at this time of Covid-19. De Villiers, who arrived back from Dubai after competing with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian…

READING Bookworms want libraries open NORMAN CLOETE norman.cloete@inl.co.za JACQUES NAUDE African News Agency (ANA) BOOKWORMS are distressed that some public libraries are not yet open at full capacity. Card holders took to social media this week saying they can buy a book, but not borrow one. There appear to be different rules for different libraries, with meeting demanding health protocols apparently the biggest barrier to lending books. Spokesperson for the City of Joburg, Nthatisi Modingoane, said the opening of libraries was subject to directives in terms of regulations published in the Disaster Management Act, with gathering subject to compliance with social distancing and sanitising of the books. “The risk of infection is high when books are handled by a number of individuals as currently our libraries do not have facilities…